The invention relates to a coating for medical devices. The invention further relates to a process for applying a coating to a surface, e.g. a surface of a medical device, and to a medical device comprising said coating.
Great effort has been put into studies of coatings for medical devices. Materials used for the manufacture of medical devices are not always chosen from a biocompatability point of view as often other considerations, e.g. with respect to strength or tensile and stretching properties, prevail.
Coatings for medical devices are, however, not only interesting for enhancing the biocompatibility of a medical device. They also provide a possibility to provide a controlled release of biologically active agents, in which case it is necessary that the coating is also biodegradable.
Problems encountered in the design of coatings for medical devices are many. One of the bigger problems concerns the adhesion of the coating to the material of which the medical device is made. As many different materials, varying from metals to ceramics and polymeric materials, are used for the manufacture of medical devices, it is important that a good coating adheres sufficiently to all sorts of materials. This is, however, often not the case.
Another problem concerns the conditions a medical device is subjected to during use. Certain medical devices, such as catheters, are for instance subjected to deformation in vivo. When the device expands, it is important that the coating is capable of undergoing the same deformation without breaking or coming loose. This would lead to exposure of the surface of the material of the medical device to the surrounding tissue in vivo. In the worst case, parts of the coating might detach from the device completely.
Accordingly, there is a need for a coating material for medical devices which may be used universally for different sorts of medical devices of different materials.